Most television viewers now receive their television signals through a content aggregator such as a cable or satellite television provider. For subscribers to a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service, for example, television programming is received via a broadcast that is sent via a satellite to an antenna that is generally located on the exterior of a home or other structure. Often, the antenna is mounted to a fascia or other portion of a roof associated with the structure.
Challenges in installing such antennas can arise, however, due to the wide variety of homes and other structures that may desire DBS service. Homes and other buildings may have widely varying roofing structures, roofing pitches, and/or other features, for example, that can make antenna installations difficult. Other locations on and around the home can present similar installation challenges in that it may be difficult to place the antenna at a desired operating orientation while maintaining a solid mechanical mount to the home or other structure.
Various attempts have been made to create universal mounting brackets for mounting antenna masts to homes and other structures, but many of these brackets have exhibited certain disadvantages. Conventional fascia mounts, for example, typically provide a flat metal plate with various holes that can be bolted or otherwise fastened to the structure and to the antenna base. Such mounts are typically designed to be maintained in an approximately vertical position, however, after being bolted to the fascia of the structure; that is, they are not designed to be installed in an orientation other than vertically. In environments with relatively small fascias, relatively sharp roof pitch, and/or other irregularities, the limited orientation options may preclude fastening the bracket to the fascia or other portion of the structure as securely as may be desired. That is, some portion of the vertically-positioned plate may extend beyond the edge of the fascia, thereby making any holes on that portion unavailable for supporting bolts or other fasteners to the structure. If the bracket is not securely fastened, wind or other environmental effects may create vibrations or loosen the mount over time. In some cases, these effects can degrade or interrupt signal reception, thereby leading to annoyance to the customer, as well as undesired maintenance or repair calls for the vender.
It is therefore desirable to create systems, structures and methods for securely mounting antenna masts to a variety of homes or other structures. These and other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background section.